Reminder for new political parties intending to register for the 2016 ACT election

Published 19 May 2016

There are
only 6 weeks left for new political parties to apply for registration for the
2016 ACT Legislative Assembly election, the ACT Electoral Commissioner,
Phillip Green, said today.

“New
parties wanting to run candidates in the 2016 election need to get their
application for registration to the ACT Electoral Commissioner by the end of
June,” Mr Green said.

“Applications
must be accompanied by the constitution of the party and the names of at least
100 members of the party who are on the ACT electoral roll.”

The main
advantage of registration for a party is the right to list party candidates in
a column under the party’s name on ballot papers, Mr Green said.

Registered
parties are also given other rights, such as the right to nominate candidates
and to receive copies of the ACT electoral roll.

“However,
registering as a political party also comes with obligations,” Mr Green stated.
“Each registered party is responsible for submitting annual financial
disclosure returns, gift disclosures and electoral expenditure returns to the
ACT Electoral Commissioner.”

There are currently
six political parties registered to contest the October 2016 election: